Hydrocarbon-producing wells often are stimulated by hydraulic fracturing operations, wherein a fracturing fluid may be introduced into a portion of a subterranean formation penetrated by a wellbore at a hydraulic pressure sufficient to create or enhance at least one fracture therein. Stimulating or treating the wellbore in such ways increases hydrocarbon production from the well. The fracturing equipment may be included in a stimulation assembly used in the overall production process.
In some wells, it may be desirable to individually and selectively create multiple fractures along a wellbore at a distance apart from each other, creating multiple “pay zones.” The multiple fractures should have adequate conductivity, so that the greatest possible quantity of hydrocarbons in an oil and gas reservoir can be drained/produced into the wellbore. When stimulating a formation from a wellbore, or completing the wellbore, especially those wellbores that are highly deviated or horizontal, it may be challenging to control the creation of multiple fractures along the wellbore that can give adequate conductivity. For example, multiple fractures may create a complicated fracture geometry resulting in an undesirable high treating pressure and difficulty injecting significant proppant volumes. Enhancement in methods and apparatuses to overcome such challenges can further improve fracturing success and thus improve hydrocarbon production. Thus, there is an ongoing need to develop new methods and apparatuses to improve fracturing initiation and fracture extension.